1. Technical Field
Aspects of this document relate generally to public use kiosks for marking pet tags.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, pet tag marking kiosks are of four types: stamping, imprinting, stylus engraving and laser etching. Each type uses a different type of marking implement to mark a text message or logo or other image (collectively “image”) on a pet tag. Conventional pet tags used in marking kiosks designed for pet tags are flat to not interfere with the marking machinery during the marking process.
Marking machines and kiosks come in various shapes and sizes. Some kiosks are designed as public use kiosks. In a public use kiosk, a customer is permitted to approach and operate the kiosk to customize the marking of a particular tag selection from inside the kiosk and cause the machine to mark a pet tag, but the customer cannot manually access the marking implement. An example of a public use kiosk pet tag marking machine is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,003 to Goldman et al. In operation of the public use product relating to this patent, which is distributed by The Hillman Group of Tempe, Ariz. and at the time this application was filed was found in many PetSmart and WalMart stores, the operator inserts a token, purchased from the store, selects a desired pet tag within the kiosk from the touch screen, enters the desired text message for the tag, and starts the system. The system stores several different shapes of flat, anodized aluminum inventory tags in columns that dispense to tag carriers that move to etching positions. A diamond tipped engraving stylus scratches the text onto the top surface of the anodized aluminum tag and then dispenses the etched tag to a tag dispensing tray.
Other known smaller pet tag marking machines which are not kiosks allow a trained store employee to place a flat pet tag in a holder within a small desktop engraving machine. The store employee has access to the marking implement and places the pet tag directly below the marking implement in a tag tray. The store employee then enters the text to engrave on the pet tag and causes the engraving machine to engrave the top surface of the pet tag. Such a system is distributed by The Hillman Group of Tempe, Ariz. under the product names VetScribe and PetScribe. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,314 to Kosted, Kosted describes a method whereby a Veterinarian marks a first side of a rabies tag with rabies vaccination information, manually turns the tag over, and then marks the second side of the rabies tag with personal information separately.
Another desktop pet tag marking kiosk to Newman (disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,814) discloses a pet tag marking kiosk that includes hexagonal, round, oval square or triangular placement pins on the work surface to keep a pet tag from twisting left or right on the work surface.